Video: Viewing extended features

Although Reader X comes with a couple of new commenting tools, and lets you save your comments-- there is a Save and Save As command under the File menu-- there are some things that you wished that you could do that you can't do in Reader. Like, for example, take a look at this PDF of an invitation to some sort of Oilfest celebration for the Two Trees Olive Oil Company. It looks like it's a form, but I am not able to fill this out at all. I mean, I can select text, but I can't actually fill out anything.

In Acrobat X Essential Training, author Anne-Marie Concepción demonstrates how to create, modify, review, and share PDFs in Adobe Acrobat X Standard or Pro. Starting with a tour of the new panels-based interface, the course covers the basics of the software, such as creating and customizing PDFs, searching, editing text and graphics, and extracting PDF content to use in other programs. Also included are tutorials on creating forms, inserting interactivity and rich media, using the prepress tools, combining PDFs with other types of files to create customized portfolios, and ensuring document security. Exercise files accompany the course.

Viewing extended features

Although Reader X comes with a couple of new commenting tools, and lets yousave your comments--there is a Save and Save As command under the File menu--there are some things that you wished that you could do that you can't do in Reader.Like, for example, take a look at this PDF of an invitation to some sort ofOilfest celebration for the Two Trees Olive Oil Company.It looks like it's a form,but I am not able to fill this out at all.I mean, I can select text, but I can't actually fill out anything.

All I can really do is print it out, and fill it out by hand, and then, heavenforbid, fax the thing to the organizer.So what Acrobat users will still need to do is to add what are called extendedrights for Reader, even if you're using version X. These extended rights thatthey add to the PDF will work not just for Reader X users, but also Reader 9, 8,7, and 6--sometimes even earlier.Let me show you what that looks like.If I go to Acrobat where I have a document opened--the Employee Manual--what the Acrobat user needs to do is they need to go to the File menu, chooseSave As, and choose one of these commands under Reader Extended PDF.

So, for example, they can choose to allow Reader users to add text to documents,meaning if it's not a form that you can actually fill out with form fields,then at least you can add text.You can enable additional Commenting tools and Measuring tools, and evenAdditional Features, such as being able to save form data, and things like that.Our series of the same PDF saved with different extended rights in Reader, soyou can see what's possible.That way if you get a PDF that's not working for you, you can contact the personwho created the PDF, if you happen to know, and say, "Hey, you forgot to includethese rights for me."So let's go back to the regular form.

That would be this one.If the Acrobat user enabled the right to add text--I have it saved here under invite-RE-text--this is how we would open up in Reader.You would get a little ribbon going across the top saying, "This PDF can becompleted using the Typewriter tool."Isn't it cute, the typewriter?When was the last time you saw a typewriter in real life?So you select the Typewriter tool.Then you can come down here and click.So I can say, oh, my last name is Concepcion just like I'm working on atypewriter. I could select that text if I wanted to, and change the typeface,and the font, and so on.

Then when I'm done, I could save itand then return the PDF with all my information filled out to the person thatI'm supposed to send it back to.So it's not quite as automated as an actual interactive form, but at leastI don't have to print it out and use a fax machine.Now if they actually did turn it into a form, this is what it would look likenormally when you open it in Reader.So I have Oilfest-invite. That's a form.This is what it would look like.You get this little ribbon, and it would say, "Hey, you could fill out the form,but you cannot save data typed into this form."So in this instance, this is another instance of a regular PDF with form fields.

But the Acrobat user did not extend Reader rights.This is what a normal form looks like.So I can go ahead and click in here, and it's reminding me, "You cannot save acompleted copy of this form.If you would like a copy, fill it in and then print it."Fine, fine. Yeah, I got it. Concepcion. I can tab. Anne and Title.Grand Poobah is the title I'd like to use, and so and so.As you have seen it say repeatedly, you cannot save your entries here.

If you chose Save, your entries would be wiped out the next time you opened it.The only way to actually see this would be to print it out.Then you can stick in your file drawer or something like that.Normally, you're not going to get forms like this--or if you get a form likethis, it'll have a submit button at the top.So at least it'll be able to submit your information back to them.The person who is distributing this form, believe me, does not want to take yourprint out as a fax and have to reenter it by hand.If the Acrobat user thinks to extend Reader rights, then you can actually fillout this form and then save the data.

I have a version of that, so Oilfest-invite with Reader Extended-form.It looks exactly the same.We have a little extra field there, I think.But look at the ribbon at the top.It says, "Please fill out the following form.You can save data typed into this form."So now, I can go ahead and type in my information.Then when I go to File > Save As, the next time I open it, it will still sayConcepcion. So at least I have a digital record of what I submitted in the form.

I might still need to attach the form to an e-mail and send back to them, oreven print it out and fax it to them, or mail it to them,but at least I have a digital record of it.Now there is one more kind of Reader Extended rights that the Acrobat user could add.Let's look at a regular newsletter.Here is the newsletter that I was using in a couple of other videos.We do have the ability to add comments with the little sticky notes, orthe Highlighter tool.There is our Comments pane that will appear.

There is little dropdown menu, called Annotations.These are the names for the tools that we were using.These are different kind of annotations.Now if you are using Adobe Acrobat, and you saw my video on commenting in AdobeAcrobat--I've just switched over to Acrobat--you can see that in Acrobat, the annotations and drawing markup, they're much richer.You have a lot more to play with.Well, the Acrobat user can choose to extend those kinds of commenting tools to you as well.

They go to File > Save As > Enable Commenting & Measuring.Let's go back to Reader, where I have opened up a version that has ReaderExtended for commenting.So we still have the same two tools at the top.We don't have any ribbon, letting us know, "Hey, you have extra things here."But check out the Comment panel.We have the same annotations that Acrobat users do, and the same drawingmarkups that they do.

So as you can see, out of the box, Reader can do a couple of things.It can add a couple of comments.It can save those comments.But it can do a lot more.It's just that they are sort of locked inside Reader.The Acrobat user has to unlock those by saving their PDF in a special way.So when you open up a PDF in Reader, and you see many more commenting tools,or a Typewriter tool, or the ability to save form data, then you know who tosend the little prayer of thanks to, to the Acrobat user who extended those Reader rights toyou in the PDF.

Learn by watching, listening, and doing, Exercise files are the same files the author uses in the course, so you can download them and follow along Premium memberships include access to all exercise files in the library.

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Learn by watching, listening, and doing! Exercise files are the same files the author uses in the course, so you can download them and follow along. Exercise files are available with all Premium memberships.
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